This paper presents an experimental and numerical study aiming at the development of a sustainable and multifunctional composite sandwich panel for the rehabilitation of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. The sandwich panel, which was designed for the structural, thermal and acoustic refurbishment of building facades, comprises three main components: (i) thin outer layers of Recycled…

Experimental research has shown the extraordinary potential of the addition of short fibers to cement-based materials by improving significantly the behavior of concrete structures for serviceability and ultimate limit states. Software based on the finite element method has been used for the simulation of the material nonlinear behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) structures. The applicability of the existing approaches has…

In this work, a new technique for the efficient confinement of reinforced concrete (RC) columns of rectangular crosssection is described and its effectiveness is assessed experimentally. This technique is based on the concept of applying strips of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) wet layup sheets with a certain prestress level using a mechanical device. The influence of the cross-section aspect…

The use of thin cement based panels reinforced with relatively high content of Recycled Steel Fibres (RSF) for the shear strengthening of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams is investigated in the present work. The mechanical properties of this Recycled Steel Fibre Reinforced Mortar (RSFRM) are characterised. The panels are produced by using a mixing technique similar to the one used in…

This research proposes the development of an innovative structural panels based on the use of thin outer layers of Sisal Fiber-Cement Composites (SiFCC) together with a core layer of Polypropylene Fiber-Reinforced Lightweight Concrete (PFRLC). The influence of sisal fibers was studied in two different ways, short sisal fibers (50 mm) randomly distributed in the matrix, and long unidirectional aligned sisal…

Epoxy adhesives have been extensively used in strengthening of reinforced concrete structures. In spite of that, research on the viscoelastic behaviour of these adhesives and its influence on the mechanical behaviour of  strengthened concrete structures is scarce, particularly at the early ages of curing. The main goal of present work is to better understand the tensile creep behaviour of a specific…

The aim of the present work is to assess the effectiveness of an innovative strengthening technique for the rehabilitation of masonry buildings deficiently prepared to resist to loading conditions typical of seismic events. This technique is based on the application of outer layers of fibre reinforced mortar (FRM) by spray technology and it is used for increasing the load carrying…

In this paper, a new generation of composite sandwich slab is proposed as a solution for the rehabilitation of slabs in old masonry buildings. An innovative solution was developed during this research formed by four components: a Deflection Hardening Cement Composite (DHCC) layer on the top compression skin, a Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) skin at the bottom tension surface,…